Ankle brace



April 17, 1928.

H. L. JOHNSTON ANKLE BRACE Filed Oct. 29, 1926 vll/111111111117177171111Wllllllllwiwllh Patented Apr. I7, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.:

HARRY LEIGH JOHNSTON, F INDIANOLA, IOW-A.

ANXLE, jamon Application med october 29, 1926. seran 144,963. ,i

suchmovements beyond a point at whichV such movements can take place without danger of spraining or breaking the ankle.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: A

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved ankle brace applied as in actual use.

Figure 2 shows a transverse, sectional viewv through a portion of the shoe to which the brace is applied to illustrate the means for attaching the flexible limiting members to the shoe.

Referring to the accompanying drawings I have used the reference numeral to indicate an ankle `strap which may be made of such material as leather, canvas or the like, and which is shaped to encircle the wearers ankle above the ankle joint. I preferably unite its ends adj ustably by means of a lacing 11 so that it may be fitted snugly around the wearers ankle. At the outer side of the ankle strap 10, I attach to the ankle strap a supporting strap 12 which extends upwardly and then downwardly to a point near the center of the ankle strap at the outer side thereof. The two ends of this strap 12 are provided with eyelets. These eyelets are designed to adjustably and detaehably receive flexible limiting wires or cords 13. In this connection I have successfully employed for these limiting devices small twisted wire cables, leather thongsand thick shoe strings.

For firmly anchoring the` flexible limiting means to the sole. of the shoe, I have provided between the layers of the sole of the shoe a series of rigid metal plates 146, their ends at the outer .side of the shoe being bent straight upwardly and formed with eyelets to receive the flexible limiting des and around the inner side of the ankle strapY vices. In the present instance I have'illustrated three of these anchoring plates, the central one 14 being designed to receive a flexible limiting cord to extend straight upwardly andto be adjustably attached to the strap 10 at the central outer portion thereof. The two flexible limiting devices that are attached to the strap 12 are preferably crossed at their centers, as shown in the drawings, and this crossing preferably occurs just below the ankle joint.

In practicalV use, a shoe'is first placed upon the wearers foot and then the strap 10 is applied to thel wearers ankle above the ankle joint and adjusted by means of the string l1 to snugly fit the wearers ankle above the joint. Then the flexible limiting' means are adjusted to such length that the wearers ankle may have free and unlimited movement to the extent necessary and desirable for effective athletic work, but the'flexible limiting means are adjusted to such lengths that when the wearers foot bends inwardly to a point beyond which it would bel dangerous to have it move, then the flexible limiting means are drawn taut and Vform a `positive stop to such further movement, thus positively preventing sprains or breaks of the wearers ankle caused by such inward bending of the foot.

I have observed that in athletic games such as football a very large percentage of sprainsand breaks occur on account of the inward bending ofthe foot beyond a certain point, and for that reason I have especially designed my improved ankle brace with the object in view of positively limiting the amount of such inward movement beyond the danger point. A Y I have, however, successfully employed my improved ankle brace on the inner side of the wearers ankle to limit the outward movement of the foot.

I claim as my'invention:

1. An improved ankle brace, comprisingy in combination a shoe, an ankle strap, means for adjustably securing Vit to a wearers ankle above the ankle joint, and a limiting device attached to the ankle strap and to the sole of the shoe, and ofsuch length that when properly adjusted to vthe wearers foot it will permit of a limited lateral tilting movement of the shoe sole and will limit said lateral tilting movement in one direction when it has passed beyond a certain predetermined point, said limiting means being connected to the ankle strap and shoe in such positions that when it is 'properly adjusted to fit the Wearers foot it Will not interfere with the up and down movement of the Wearers foot about the ankle joint.

2. An improved ankle brace, comprising in combination a shoe, an ankle strap designed to be adjustably secured to a Wearers Leeaaeo downwardly and rearwardly and attached to the shoe sole at a point in the rear of a vertical line through the ankle joint of the device," and another member attached to the Yankle strap in the rear of a vertical line through the ankle joint portion of the device vand extended forwardly and downwardly and attached to the shoe Sole at a point in front of a vertical line through the ankle joint portion of the device, substantially as and for the purposes stated.l

Des Moines7 Iowa, October 23, 1926.

HARRY LnieH'JoHNsroN. 

